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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30012798">between aisles and secrets</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnightcabin/pseuds/midnightcabin'>midnightcabin</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aliens, Alternate Universe - Grocery Store, Attempt at Humor, M/M, Minor Moon Taeil/Suh Youngho | Johnny, Strangers to Lovers, Walmart, mark is just a broke college student who somehow got whipped, mark is not a thief i swear, walmart worker donghyuck</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 21:28:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,023</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30012798</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnightcabin/pseuds/midnightcabin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Cold water pours over his head. He feels his heart stop beating right then and there, his body drains from blood. His mind in a haze, not aware of the words his mouth decides to blurt out.</p><p>“Oh, I’m just gonna <em>borrow</em> it," he says before he can even process the words. He would like to slap himself for that.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>NCT Walmart Fic Fest R1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>between aisles and secrets</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hi ! i hope you enjoy reading this walmart fic :D</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The air was still, the night was chilly, his breathing silent, heart thumping in his chest. It was as if death was waiting for him at the end of the aisle, ready to get him and guide him to walk on the bridge to the next life. Like a man in the war waiting for the bomb to drop and explode. His eyes flutter shut as he takes a deep breath, veins buzzing with anxiety or excitement, he’s not sure. Letting out a slow exhale, he opens his eyes and mutters under his breath, to himself, “This is it. It's now or never.” </p><p>He straightens his back and he stealthily walks to the middle of the aisle. <em> “This is it </em> , <em> ” </em> he thinks to himself, <em> ‘I'm really going to do it </em> . <em> ’ </em> Before him was a treasure he holds dear in his heart, something he’s been dying to have. His eyes shone bright, full of mischief and adoration. <em> I want you and you’ll be mine in no time </em> . He forces himself not to let the tears fall on his prominent cheeks. <em> It's beautiful </em> , his mind shouts. <em> I want you. </em></p><p> </p><p>Before him, the newly released PlayStation 5 presents itself in all its glory.</p><p> </p><p>He’s been craving for this to be on his hands and care for it like a newborn child. His child. With its resolution that can go up to 8K, with its frame rate that can go up to 120fps, with 825GB SSD of storage, with its CPU that is 8-core, 3.5GHz AMD Zen 2 and 10.3 teraflop AMD RDNA 2 for GPU and with a RAM of 16 GB GDDR6. He loves it. He's been waiting for it to be released since Sony announced that there will be a new version of the PlayStation.</p><p>But he’s a broke college student who feeds on sodium based, petroleum industry byproduct that is ramen noodles therefore he couldn’t really afford to buy something worth more than his kidneys. But now he was going to get it. With bare hands and bare heart.</p><p>He grabs hold of the treasure in front of him and looks around, making sure that no one was there to witness such crime. His nerves were killing him, his eyes wary and concentrated. Earlier that day, like a soldier who lost at war, a democrat who lost his chance for a higher seat, Mark lost a bet of who will try to steal the new PlayStation5 in Walmart.</p><p>"And the one and only Mark Lee has lost once again, folks!" Jeno had exclaimed after Mark lost a game of rock, paper, scissors. "Do you know what you'll have to do, Mark Lee?" </p><p>Mark groaned. He didn't like this idea but he's a broke college student so he couldn't really afford that damn PlayStation 5 and he really wants to have it in his hands. Also because his ego is preventing him from saying no to his friends’ dare. "Yes, I do." </p><p>"Then, congratulations. You're about to have it with you." Renjun deadpanned, rising from his seat, ready to go to the mall. "Now let's go."</p><p>"Wait, what? Where? We're going to Walmart, like, right now?" Mark asked, incredulously. He wasn't expecting it to be so sudden. </p><p>"No, we're going to Japan." Jisung sarcastically said, which was followed by a series of nods from the others.</p><p>That brings Mark Lee here, on aisle seven, ready to <em> get and borrow </em>the console for a while.</p><p>(<em> “If it makes you feel better, just think of it as if you’re borrowing something from the library and not stealing it,” Chenle had said while they’re on their way to Walmart. </em>)</p><p>As he whips his head around with a victorious look, PlayStation cradled in his chest, he is faced by an angel sent from above, with sun-kissed skin and curly caramel tops, eyes looking at him with burning passion. Mark's heart thumps against his chest, and it seems like all the sounds around him faded and the only sound he can hear is his heart. A faint hue of color paints Mark's face, he's too beautiful, he thinks. Too beautiful. </p><p>"Excuse me, sir, may I ask what you’re doing with the PlayStation right now?" The angel asks, a visible frown graces upon his face.</p><p>Cold water pours over his head. He feels his heart stop beating right then and there, his body drains from blood. His mind in a haze, not aware of the words his mouth decides to blurt out. </p><p>“Oh, I’m just gonna <em> borrow </em> it," he says before he can even process the words. He would like to slap himself for that. </p><p>The frown on the angel's face in front of him grows deeper, "Sir, I am pretty sure that you can't 'borrow' stuff we sell in here." </p><p>Mark is pretty sure it might be the best idea to be dead by now. With his mind screaming <em> run you idiot, </em>he opens his mouth but no words leave, only an embarrassing low broken whimper comes out.</p><p>The face of the angel in front of him morphs into a slightly concerned one, "Are you alright, sir?" </p><p>"Y-yes," Mark squeaks out.</p><p>"Are you sure, sir?" the angel asks, as if to make sure he wasn't about to have a customer pass out in front of him. </p><p>Mark only nods, eyes wide and darting anywhere that isn't the angel's face. He can feel his heart thump against his chest. He doesn't know if it was because he almost or actually got caught on his stealing the PS5 agenda in action or if it was because of the angel in front of him. It's <em> definitely </em> because he got caught. Nothing else, really. </p><p>"Okay," the angel, drawls, shoulders coming up in a shrug and nodding his head slowly, "Have a great day, sir." </p><p>"Yes, thank you," Mark says quietly, still in shock for being 'caught' by an angel.</p><p>The angel turns but before he could go he says, "Please pay for that. You can't borrow items here. Thank you."</p><p>With that, the angel walks away, probably to attend other things in the mall. Mark lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He looks down, eyes gazing at the PlayStation 5 on his arms and sighs exasperated, shoulders visibly deflating. He slowly placed back the box of PlayStation, hesitant but he knew he didn't have a choice. He couldn't risk being in prison at age twenty-one for stealing a freaking game console.</p><p>He walks away but not forgetting to look for the angel he met. As he is about to go out of the mall, his eyes catch the same eyes with burning passion. They held gazes for a while and Mark is the first one to look away. He leaves Walmart, empty handed of a Playstation but head full of the angel's eyes.</p><p> </p><p>Three days after the stealing agenda, three days since he failed, three days since he last stepped foot in Walmart, three days since he felt like he died from getting caught and three days since he met the most beautiful being he's ever seen. </p><p>So, on the third day he rose again and decided he wanted to go to Walmart for the sole reason of <em> buying groceries. </em>No other reason. </p><p>That brought him in the aisle, under the large red letters that distinctly says <em> beverage. </em>He doesn’t really know what he wants to buy, he just let his feet drag him to the mall and let his body decide to go anywhere. Now, in front of all the beverages available, he contemplated on what to buy. He was too focused on choosing between Arrowhead and Zephyrhills that he failed to notice a presence near him.</p><p>“You’re not gonna <em> borrow </em> again, are you, thief?” a familiar voice says, causing him to jump. He looked around and saw the same angel he saw three days ago and the same angel he definitely wasn't looking for. The angel giggles and Mark's hand finds a home on his nape, rubbing it out of embarrassment, he definitely heard the emphasis on the word <em> borrow </em>.</p><p>“No. No, I’m not. I am gonna <em> buy </em>it. I swear,” Mark says, incredibly shy and it is very visible on his red face, then he frowns, "and I am not a thief."</p><p>The angel raises a brow at that, “You were, the other day.”</p><p>Mark reddens further, if that was even possible. He's embarrassed as fuck, he'd like to say. </p><p>"You didn't see me steal anything, did you?" Mark goads, puffing out his chest in faux confidence. </p><p>"Well, I did hear you say you'll <em> borrow </em> the thing you were holding," the angel says, one brow raised and a smirk etched on his face.</p><p>"Well, on what I can see and know, you didn't report me, did you?" Marks says smugly, thinking he found an escape in this trap he's in.</p><p>The angel just shrugs and feigns a nonchalant look, "Well, you're good looking so you pass." </p><p>Mark sputters. He feels flush rising from his neck to the tip of his ears, he's sure he looks like the inside of a watermelon now. He reddens further when he hears the angel laugh, doesn't know if he it's from the embarrassment of getting caught blushing or the fact that the angel's laugh makes him blush. It's definitely the embarrassment.</p><p>"Are you really gonna buy that?" the angel points out as soon as his laughter died down.</p><p>Mark looks down to his hands that were holding a pack of Arrowhead water bottles.</p><p>"Yes. Uhm, I'm just contemplating whether to buy this one or this one," he says as he points at another pack of water bottles in a different brand.</p><p>The angel holds a confused expression, eyebrows furrowed and head tilted to his right causing some strand of hair to fall on his eyes. Mark thinks he might actually die from the sheer cuteness of it.</p><p>"They're just water," the angel says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "They all taste the same."</p><p>An alarm went off inside his brain being the self-proclaimed water connoisseur that he is among his friends. Mark has always been a critic of any water he has drunk. None of his friends know why. </p><p>Mark narrowed his eyes and looked at the angel pointedly, "How dare you say that." </p><p>"It's true though?" the angel states, taken aback.</p><p>"Clearly, you haven't drank lots of water in your life. All drinkable waters do <em> not </em> taste the same," Mark says with conviction evident in his tone and emphasis on not. </p><p>The angel just nods, eyeing the boy in front of him weirdly. He mutters something Mark didn't quite hear but he swears it has the words <em> humans </em> and <em> weird </em> in it. But he's not sure so he just shrugged it off. </p><p>The angel sighs and shrugs once again, "Well, whatever you say, pretty boy." </p><p>Mark is very sure the flushed face he got two minutes ago is doubled now caused by the endearment.  </p><p>"Anyway, you're an employee here, so what do you think I should buy?" Mark asks instead.</p><p>"I don't know. I just stack products on the shelves," the angel starts, face contorts to a confused expression, "Uh, maybe just go with Zephyrhills, I guess." </p><p>"Zephyrhills it is." Mark nods his head and puts the pack of bottled waters on his barely filled push cart.</p><p>The angel nods, "Okay. I will go now. I have work to do."</p><p>"Okay. Goodluck on your work," Mark says and smiles a mischievous one, "I will pay for these, I swear." </p><p>The angel only laughs at that and turns around to walk away but before he's fully turned back from Mark, he gets a glimpse of the name tag on the angel's blue uniform vest.</p><p>
  <em> Donghyuck. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>"You're here again." </p><p>Mark turns around and sees the angel he's been thinking about, Donghyuck, and smiles.</p><p>"I see you recognize me again." </p><p>"Well, I can't really forget the one who tried to steal a PS5 in here, can I?" </p><p>Mark frowns and his mouth forms a pout, "Hey, I didn't okay? Can we just move on from that?" </p><p>Donghyuck giggles and nods, "Okay, okay. I will stop now."</p><p>"Good."</p><p>"You've been here for the third day this week, pretty boy. Do you really need to buy all that?" Donghyuck says as he points at the thing that Mark is holding.</p><p>Mark looks down on his basket, <em> huh feels like deja vu, </em> this time though, he sees the stack of three dozen eggs, something he definitely doesn't need. He doesn’t even cook, what is he gonna do with all these eggs? But Donghyuck doesn't need to know that.</p><p>"Yeah. I need this to, uh, bake! Yes. Bake. My roommate likes to bake, I think," Mark says in a hurry and mumble at the end. </p><p>Donghyuck just nods his head and looks at Mark with careful eyes.</p><p>"Okay," he drawls each vowel</p><p>Mark smiles, or grimaced, he didn't know. He probably looks constipated right now. First of all, he doesn’t even cook, Renjun and Jeno have banned him in his own kitchen due to fire safety reasons. Second is he doesn’t even have a roommate, he is the only tenant in the apartment he lives in near his university. Some other times, it’s him and his best friends since they decided that “it’s better to hang out at Mark’s place since he lives alone”. So, he really doesn’t need those too many eggs to bake nor to cook but he guesses that it’s okay to buy since either Renjun or Jeno might complain about not having enough grocery to cook for their lonely hyung.</p><p>Suddenly, there is a loud sound coming from the other part of the mall. Donghyuck looks around before his eyes land on Mark and sighs, “Want to go see that?”</p><p>“What? What was that?”</p><p>“Come and see for yourself.” Donghyuck walks away leaving Mark standing there in the Produce section.</p><p>Mark frowns but follows anyway. He catches up to Donghyuck and is about to ask what was going on when loud claps and cheers resonated in the place. The confusion in Mark only furthers when Donghyuck just smiled an exasperated one at him when asked about what really is going on.</p><p>They arrive at the Fashion Essentials section and Mark's eyes widens and his mouth falls open. </p><p> </p><p>Is this a wedding happening in Walmart?</p><p> </p><p>A couple dressed in what seems to be <em>the</em> most ridiculous set of wedding suits ever known to mankind, one is in fucking <em>hot</em> <em>pink</em> while the other’s in an indistinguishable brown? (<em>Is that brown?</em> Mark is not sure), both filled with an unnecessary amount of rhinestones spread all over the suits, stand in front of the makeshift altar directly under the Fashion Essentials. Mark is confused, to say the least, everything around him is chaos in tangible form. There are plastic boat seats scattered in front of the altar and an absurd amount of shit-colored streamers frame the view. The centerpiece was a cheap wedding banner with the words <em>“JOHNNY &amp; TAEIL 4EV3R'' </em>in badly drawn calligraphy surrounded by glitters and poorly cut out hearts - that almost looked like some dick-shaped cut outs - in varied colors.</p><p>There are a bunch of fake flowers and plants surrounding the altar and along the small makeshift aisle. Mark is not sure of what is happening. He’s lost, that’s what he is sure of. This is the first time he’s seen something like this take place in a… very public place that isn’t a church or a wedding chapel.</p><p>It seems that the man in the indistinguishable brown suit just finished his vows as he was already wiping his tears while simultaneously laughing. The man in the hot pink suit soon started speaking and even before he got to the middle of his speech, he was already bawling his eyes out that the other man had to interfere with the wiping of the tears. His wedding vows goes something like “I promise to be your hunka-hunka burning love, to love you by the old gods and the new” and some more out of the ordinary wedding vows ever heard on this planet.</p><p>At least, the wedding ring was the most decent thing Mark has seen so far.</p><p>And if Mark thinks things couldn’t get any better, the officiant - Mark is not sure, he thinks it’s the officiant - pulls out a <em> lightsaber </em>with red light behind him and declares, “By the power vested in me by the state of Delmore and Walmart, I now pronounce you,” he lowers the stick on each of their shoulders, “everlasting.”</p><p>Even before the officiant can say they may now kiss, the couple pulls each other with such eagerness and shares a very passionate kiss and the guests seated on the chairs and the small crowd that had gathered around the wedding erupts to a round of applause and cheers of congratulations.</p><p>Mark gapes at all the things happening before him, he’s still very confused and his confusion only furthers when he turns his head to his side and sees Donghyuck wiping his tears and clapping while cheering.</p><p>“Why are you crying?”</p><p>Donghyuck looks at him with soft eyes, teary and loving, Mark is once again not sure why his heart started beating so fast (<em> now's not the time you idiot, </em>his brain remotely supplies).</p><p>“Weddings are beautiful.”</p><p>Mark could only, well, gape again. He nods and returns his attention to the couple in front of them who are now being smothered with congratulations and cheers from the crowd and some of the guests that were seated.</p><p>"Why do you look so calm about this," Mark asks as he waves his free hand around awkwardly to point out everything, "whole thing?"</p><p>"It's normal to get married. You are very heartless, pretty boy," Donghyuck says and gives Mark a stink eye with no real bite to it.</p><p>Mark sputters because of the endearment and for being called heartless. He might actually start having heart related diseases if Donghyuck doesn't stop calling him that name.</p><p>"Anyway," Donghyuck starts, he turns to Mark and wipes a tear that has fallen, "that was quite a show. I should go to work now, pretty boy."</p><p>"Mark." Mark blurts out even before he can hear himself.</p><p>Donghyuck raises a brow and cocks his head to the side as a form of question. </p><p>"My name's Mark." </p><p>Donghyuck makes a sound of acknowledgement and nods his head, "Okay." A pause. "Pretty boy."</p><p>Donghyuck's little smirk grows into a full grin when Mark's face flushes redder.</p><p>"You can just call me Mark," Mark says, eyes darting around still visibly embarrassed.</p><p>"Where's the fun in that if I could just call you pretty boy, pretty boy?"</p><p>Mark groans and turns his face away to try to hide his flushed face - it didn't.</p><p>Donghyuck only laughs and Mark thinks maybe it's because he finds Mark or cute or he finds Mark stupid.</p><p>"Mine is Donghyuck." </p><p>"I know," Mark says rather too fast for his liking.</p><p>And once again, Donghyuck raises a brow and Mark flushes.</p><p>"On your name tag. It's on your name tag, I saw it," Mark rambles before he embarrasses himself further.</p><p>Donghyuck only nods his head with a small teasing smile on his face, "Okay, pretty boy. Whatever you say. I'll go now. Go buy your eggs now." </p><p>Mark watches Donghyuck’s retreating back and sighs, <em> what am I doing? Get your shit together Mark. </em>He shakes his head and proceeds to go back to the produce section and leave the chaos that is the wedding that happened merely five minutes ago.</p><p> </p><p>From that day on, Mark finds himself to be a regular customer or rather a regular comer in the mall. He'd find himself buying the most unnecessary item he would most probably never use or need in his life. He buys the most absurd thing his eyes and hands lands on. If his wallet and bank account could talk, it would probably accuse him of abuse or felony, either of those.</p><p>All of those just to get a glimpse of the most gorgeous human he has ever seen, a beauty out of this world. Whenever he steps inside the mall, the first thing his body does is do a one over the whole place just so he can know if the angel's on duty or not. One a week became twice a week then thrice then it was everyday. There was a week where he had a seven-day streak of going just so he knows the days where Donghyuck is present and the days he wasn't. Turns out, Donghyuck works everyday. And so, everyday he went.</p><p>His friends started teasing him on going to Walmart too much that he's "in too deep" to whatever captured him when he tried stealing the damn game console. He ignores all those and goes to the mall anyway.</p><p>Whenever he goes, Donghyuck never fails to take some time from his work to talk to him and make him flustered every. damn. time. But Mark doesn't complain, he'd take all the flirting than radio silence from him.</p><p>Mark's purpose and excuses on what he needs inside the mall slowly disappears as he accepts that Donghyuck knows the sole reason he goes. They'd talk at any given time, they would walk around the mall, play some silly games and just mess around, making it their own little (big) playground. Customers don't even blink an eye at them, unfazed, unbothered at the mess they are making. As if playing around is the most normal thing that could happen inside.</p><p>With that, Mark can agree. He has been in Walmart many times in the past month than he did in his whole twenty-one years of existence. And Mark can confidently say that he has seen the most out-of-this world events he has ever seen happen inside a damn mall.</p><p> </p><p>"That was…" Mark swallows, he feels his mouth go dry, his eyes are wide almost popping out of their sockets, "something." </p><p>"That was a scene," Donghyuck said calmly, too calm considering the events before.</p><p>"That <em> was </em> a <em> scene, </em>" Mark repeated but with more conviction and emphasis. </p><p>There was another episode of stealing, the worrying thing about that moment wasn't the fact that someone's trying to steal (again) but the fact that the thief was… Naked. The only thing the man was wearing were his mismatched Donald Duck and Darth Vader socks. Everyone was a mix of horrified, disgusted and pleased with it and the security was fast enough to get the wilding culprit and by the time Mark and Donghyuck arrived at the scene, the thief was passed out on the floor with a large towel covering his naked body. <em> Intoxicated and doped up </em>was the reason for Naked Shoplifting. </p><p>Probably the most wild and dramatic thing that had happened in Walmart. Mark strongly agrees.</p><p> </p><p>"What do you think they'll name the baby?" Donghyuck asked as they sat down on a bench at the backside of the mall as it was his break and they decided that the inside of the mall was too much at the moment. </p><p>Mark takes a seat as well and hums, "I don't know. I just wish they don't, for the love of god, name the baby Walmart or something." </p><p>That brought a laugh from Donghyuck and Mark looked too satisfied with it. </p><p>This one, was another… wild one. From the frantic noises from the customers, piercing screams and a vague mutter of <em> push, </em>and the final scream followed by a weep that distinctly sounded like a baby, a newborn was indeed born inside Walmart. A heavily pregnant woman decided she wanted to go shopping knowing too well that she was almost due that week. And it seemed that the baby was eager to see the world that it decided to come out much earlier. Donghyuck and Mark were doing their own business in one of the back aisles when a scream interrupted their heated moment. They rushed to the scene and were shocked to see a woman ready to give birth. They immediately called an ambulance but they arrived much later that the baby was almost out so they had no choice but to continue the procedure inside the mall.</p><p>Something very unusual but didn't really surprise Mark, especially Donghyuck.</p><p> </p><p>"I think I've seen everything by now," Mark says as he watches Donghyuck stack cans of ready-to-eat foods onto the shelves. He's pretty sure he can't really hang around a working employee but neither of them really cares, they've been doing it for the past month. What's stopping them now. </p><p>Donghyuck doesn't stop with his work and only hums as to ask what Mark means by that.</p><p>"Well first of all, there was the weird ass wedding a month ago. With all those fake flowers and poorly designed banners and that lightsaber accolade moment," Mark rambles, hands raised as if to emphasize how absurd the events were then his face contorts to confusion and disbelief, "Then the shoplifting one! Who does that?!" </p><p>Donghyuck scoffs and turns to look at Mark with an accusing look, "Maybe someone named Mark Lee too, he did that."</p><p>"Hey! I wasn't even naked that time," Mark refutes, face forming a sulking one with his eyebrows together and a pout formed by his mouth.</p><p>Donghyuck’s eyes light up and his lips slowly turn into a shit-eating grin "So you agree? You agree that you were shoplifting that day?" </p><p>Mark groans, "No. I wasn’t and please don't Regina George me ever again."</p><p>Donghyuck rolls his eyes but a fond smile makes its way on his face as he returns to doing his work.</p><p>"And anyway, what I was saying is, I think I've seen everything. I don't think anything can faze me anymore." </p><p>Donghyuck only hummed as an answer but the look in his face tells Mark that there's something he knows that he won't tell Mark. But as the good natured boy Mark is, he ignores it and continues talking Donghyuck’s ears off.</p><p> </p><p>To say the least, Mark has probably seen the most of everything during his visits and frequency in the mall. From simple shoplifting, a damm wedding, a naked shoplifting, and someone giving birth? Mark is sure nothing can surprise him anymore.</p><p>"Mark pray tell why the fuck are we in Walmart at the dead of night? The mall is closed already for fucks sake," Renjun complains as he lets himself get dragged by Jisung.</p><p>Mark had dragged all three of his best friends (Chenle not included as he was <em> “busy doing stuff” </em>so they didn’t bother to ask him to come) into going somewhere that the other three didn’t know where to but now that they’re on their way to their destination, it became loud and clear as a crystal. Their destination is Walmart.</p><p>Mark shrugs, "Adventure." </p><p>"Adventure? Is Walmart adventure to you, Mark Lee," Renjun seethes, irritation clear in his voice. He's been like this for the whole walk to the mall. But nonetheless walks with them since Jisung is here with them.</p><p>"Yes, what about it?" Mark says begrudgingly, characteristically embarrassed. </p><p>"More like he just wants to see someone who works at Walmart," Jeno teases before he goes for a run.</p><p>“It’s the dead of night do you really think they’d still be here?!” Renjun shouts but goes unheard as Mark runs after Jeno and then they are all running. Mark catches up to Jeno and tackles him, stumbling on the ground as he playfully headlocks the younger.</p><p>The playful banter stopped when a call for the two was heard.</p><p>"Guys, w-what the fuck is that?" Renjun stutters, wide eyed as if he saw a spaceship fly by in front of him, jaw slack, finger pointing at the middle of the back parking lot of the closed mall. Beside him, Jisung was the same, if not more terrified and amused at the same time. </p><p>Jeno and Mark slowly turned their heads to look at what their friend was pointing at and Mark swears he felt his knees buckle in shock and if it weren't for the good fact he was still on the floor, he would've fallen. </p><p> </p><p>Because what the fuck is <em>that?</em> Is that a <em>spaceship</em> parked beside a red 2003 toyota corolla? What the heck is a <em>spaceship</em> doing outside of Walmart?</p><p> </p><p>He doesn’t know what to react, he wants to scream in terror but he couldn't, no sound would leave his mouth. </p><p>But then, something moved inside the spaceship. </p><p>Or someone, rather. </p><p>"Is that- is that…" Jeno starts, equally shocked, "Donghyuck?!" </p><p>As if he knew there were people nearby who were talking about him, the figure emerged from the entrance of the spaceship and let himself be seen by the four friends. </p><p>And lo and behold, the Angel that Mark met when he was about to commit the greatest mistake of his life, the light of Mark's boring and exhausting college life, the one and only, Lee Donghyuck, stands on top of the entrance wearing casual clothes. Too casual for someone in a fucking spaceship. </p><p>He knew if it weren't for Renjun's body by his side keeping him somewhat sane and making him feel that everything's real, he would've fainted by now so he did the only thing he could. He screamed.</p><p>This time, a sound came. A loud one.</p><p>That startled the three of his friends and also the one on the other side.</p><p>Jeno was quick to cover Mark's mouth, alarmed that someone that is most probably an extra terrestrial might hear them, or most probably heard them already. </p><p>"Mark, stop screaming. Do you want to die?" Jeno hissed, trying his best to muffle Mark's screams. </p><p>With that, Mark stopped but his eyes were wide, ready to pop out in their sockets.</p><p>"J-jeno, Mark," Renjun called, voice panicked. </p><p>Both boys looked over Renjun and saw him looking at the thing in front of them while Jisung tugs at his shirt as if to say that they should probably run away right now. </p><p>"Wait!" An all too familiar voice yelled. Too familiar. </p><p>As Mark looked at the voice's way, he locked eyes with an all too familiar person that was the reason for his screaming just five seconds ago. Donghyuck was approaching and Mark didn't know whether to run or stay put. But if he chooses to run, he couldn't really do that as he was frozen on his seat, on the floor. As Donghyuck approached them, Mark can't help but bask in the art of beauty that is Donghyuck. He looked so beautiful with his dark blue short-sleeved silk shirt tucked inside a tight fit ripped jeans that are satisfyingly fit around his legs. He looked as if the word beauty is made physical and as tangible as a human. Or an <em> alien? </em> </p><p>"Wait," Donghyuck repeats, quick on his feet as he approaches them. "Don't go, please. I can explain." </p><p>"Yeah, motherfucker explains why you have a whole ass spaceship – is that a spaceship? Outside of Walmart?!" Renjun yells, hands thrown up in exasperation and confusion. </p><p>"Yeah, about that," Donghyuck starts, one hand on his nape, embarrassed, "it's… Mine."</p><p>"What do you mean yours?" Jeno asked incredulously, now standing on his feet as he helps Mark stand up as well. "Can you please, for the love of god, explain?" </p><p>"Mine as in I own that ship <em> mine </em>," Donghyuck said, shrugging casually, as if it was the only explanation he could give.</p><p>"W-why do you have that?" Jisung stutters. </p><p>"It's my only way to go home," Donghyuck says, again, not further explaining.</p><p>"Jesus Christ, can you stop being cryptic and just explain why do you need a damn spaceship to, what, go home?" Renjun asks – demands. </p><p>"Well, uhm," Donghyuck clears his throat and plays with his fingers with his eyes darting around, not looking at any of them, "Clearly, I am not from here. My place is two-billion lightyears away from here. I'm not a human. I am an extraterrestrial on Earth you humans would like to call, an alien."</p><p>With that, even before Mark processes all the information given to him, his vision blurs and the next thing he sees is Donghyuck's shocked and worried face before everything goes black. </p><p> </p><p>The moment Mark comes to his senses, the first thing he sees is his four best friends talking to each other in front of him. He makes a low grunting noise that makes the three look at him and Jeno makes his way to him.</p><p>"Mark," Jeno starts, carding his fingers through Mark's hair which the latter finds very comforting, "How do you feel?"</p><p>"'M fine," he says as he tries to sit up from his previously lying position, "What happened?"</p><p>"You passed out." </p><p>Hearing the familiar voice, Mark froze and memories before everything went black came back to him and he abruptly tried to stand up but was stopped by Jeno.</p><p>"It's fine, Mark," Jeno says gently, coaxing him like a five year old crying about his mom. "We're safe. You're safe."</p><p>"B-but–" </p><p>"Mark, it's okay. Donghyuck is safe. He explained everything to us while you were passed out and I swear to Chenle's collection of jackets that everything's fine," Renjun assures as he smiles gently and comfortingly. </p><p>“Hey!” Chenle exclaims from where he stands beside Jisung.</p><p>Mark frowns and whips his head to look at his friends. <em> When did Chenle get here? </em></p><p>“Since when are you here?” Mark asks confusedly, “Didn’t you say you were busy doing stuff?”</p><p>Chenle’s eyes widens and he tries to smile but it comes out as a grimace, “Uh, well, this is the stuff. With Donghyuck and Jaemin.”</p><p>Mark’s face contorts into confusion and slight terror, “You’re like him too?!”</p><p>Chenle nods his head with an embarrassed look on his face.</p><p>“I feel like I’m gonna pass out again.” Mark sighs and holds his head between his hands.</p><p>“Look, that’s not the point right now. Let Donghyuck explain things and Chenle here will explain the rest, okay?” Renjun says with a gentle look on his face. </p><p>Mark nods his head. He's confused, very confused. He's not even sure if this was his reality or not. A hand on his shoulder tells him that this is in fact his reality. He looks over the hand on his shoulder and looks up, his gaze lands on soft honeyed eyes and curly caramel tops, an angel's face looking at him.</p><p>"Hey, Mark. How are you?" Donghyuck asks gently, worry visible in his face but a small smile adorns his face.</p><p>Mark stares at Donghyuck and feels warmth inside him that he's sure is not one that is danger, it feels something similar to fondness. (Maybe it is fondness)</p><p>“I’m fine, I think.” Mark says, unsure but not scared of his wits anymore.</p><p>Donghyuck sits down beside where Mark is seated. Mark belatedly realizes they’re inside an unknown place but he’s pretty sure they’re inside the <em> spaceship </em> they saw a few minutes before he passed out. Donghyuck looks at his friends and nods a little then the four of them go out of their sights without protests.</p><p>Silence occurred between the two but it was a familiar one. They’ve been hanging out too much to have an awkward moment between them.</p><p>“So...” Donghyuck drawls and smacks his lips together, “Ask away. I know you have a lot of questions and I am ready to answer them.”</p><p>Mark looks at Donghyuck and sees the boy tensed and fidgeting in his seat.</p><p>“Hey,” Mark calls out, “you don’t have to be nervous and tense. I am just… I am just confused, I’m not scared of you.”</p><p>Donghyuck lets out a slightly shaky breath and smiles at Mark and nods.</p><p>“Okay, first of all, is everything true?”</p><p>“Yes,” Donghyuck says carefully, looking at Mark with an expectant look as if to see if he would react badly but to his relief, Mark only nods his head encouragingly so he continues.</p><p>“I am from Ilios, a planet away from this galaxy, two-billion lightyears away. I take this ship with me to take me to and from back home. Me and Jaemin use it.”</p><p>Mark whipped his head in breakneck speed, “Jaemin?!”</p><p>Donghyuck smiles and nods, “Yeah. He’s my buddy back home so we decided to go here. And basically all of Walmart, to be honest.”</p><p>Mark did hear Chenle say Donghyuck and Jaemin when he asked what he was doing here. “What do you mean by all of Walmart?”</p><p>“It means that almost all of the employees and customers in Walmart are not from here. They are like me and not you.”</p><p>Mark gapes at him, disbelief and confusion and realization dawning at him all at once, “Do you mean all those weird and out-of-this world events that I’ve witnessed are made from people not from here? On Earth?”</p><p>“Yep.”</p><p>“That weird ass wedding with the weird couple and weirdest fucking wedding officiant?”</p><p>Donghyuck nods.</p><p>“The naked shoplifting?”</p><p>Donghyuck nods once again.</p><p>“Even the pregnant woman giving birth?”</p><p>“Oh no, I’m pretty sure that woman was a human. Just a really strange event happening in the weirdest mall on Earth.”</p><p>Mark’s lips form an ‘o’ and nods, “I see.”</p><p>“Are you mad?” Donghyuck asks, the worry in his face comes back.</p><p>Mark shakes his head, “No. I am glad you told me everything.”</p><p>Donghyuck smiles at him, the ever so warm smile that radiates energy and joy. Mark lets himself drown in that smile and he lets out a small giggle and then the next thing they know, they’re both laughing at each other.</p><p>“So,” Mark says and raises a brow, “You’re an alien, huh?”</p><p>Donghyuck rolls his eyes but a fond smile adorns his face, “I could say the same to you. You are an alien for me.”</p><p>Mark only laughs at that while he nods.</p><p>“So now that’s everything kind of explained, do you want to go see your friends?”</p><p>Mark’s frown makes a comeback on his forehead, “Hell yeah, Zhong Chenle has a lot of explaining to do.”</p><p>Donghyuck stands up from where he sat and offers Mark a small smile, “Let’s go?”</p><p>“Let’s go.”</p><p> </p><p>The air was still, the night was chilly, his breathing silent, heart thumping in his chest. It was as if death was happily waiting for him at the end of the aisle, ready to get him and guide him to walk on the bridge to the next life. His eyes flutter shut as he takes a deep breath, veins buzzing with excitement, he’s sure of it. Letting out a slow exhale, he opens his eyes and mutters under his breath, to himself, “This is it. It's now or never.” </p><p>He straightens his back and he stealthily walks to the middle of the aisle. <em> “This is it </em> , <em> I'm really going to do it </em> . <em> ’ </em> Before him was a treasure he holds dear in his heart, something he’s been dying to have. His eyes shone bright, full of mischief and adoration. <em> I want you and you’ll be mine in no time </em>. </p><p>Before him, the PlayStation 5 presents itself in all its glory.</p><p>He grabs hold of the treasure in front of him and looks around, making sure that no one was there to witness such crime, or more likely, making sure that someone was there, at least. His nerves were killing him - in a goodway - his eyes were wary and concentrated. He’s buzzing with excitement. He can’t wait for something to happen.</p><p>He closes his eyes and lets his head fall backwards with a victorious look. He slowly moves to walk away, PlayStation cradled in his chest. <em> Success… almost. </em></p><p>“Excuse me, sir, may I ask what you’re doing with the PlayStation right now?”</p><p>He stops in his tracks and smiles. <em> Finally, success. </em></p><p>“Are you perhaps, trying to sneak out with the game console, sir?” Donghyuck asks calmly, a calculating expression on his face as he crosses his arms towards the suspect.</p><p>He turns around slowly, his head bowed in shame, albeit the grin playing on his lips seems to say that he’s far from being abashed, though the man in front of him couldn’t see all of these as his face is covered by a mask and a cap.</p><p>“Oh, don’t worry, I’m just gonna <em> borrow </em> it.”</p><p>Donghyuck seems shocked and taken aback, it seems like he vaguely remembers where he heard that line.</p><p>Mark laughs and removes his cap and mask, “Hey, Donghyuck.”</p><p>“You’re back,” Donghyuck gapes at him in shock, “I thought you were never coming back since you knew the truth,” he says and finishes with a softer tone.</p><p>Mark steps forward and looks at Donghyuck straight in the eyes, “How can I not come back to my angel?”</p><p>Donghyuck lowers his head in embarrassment as red blush creeps onto his face.</p><p>“You’re silly, Mark.”</p><p>“Silly for you.”</p><p>Donghyuck raises a brow at that and smirks, “Getting bold, are we, pretty boy?”</p><p>Hearing the same endearment this time though doesn’t faze Mark, instead his smile only grows into a full grin.</p><p>“Only for you, my angel.”</p><p>Donghyuck’s face becomes redder and he tries to hide it with a scowl. “Shut up, Mark Lee.”</p><p>“Make me.”</p><p>And Donghyuck, the daring boy that he ever is, leans forward and seals their lips together. Mark stands frozen but comes to his senses and kisses Donghyuck back with the same tenderness.</p><p>Donghyuck was the first one to pull away as he needed to breathe. He looks Mark in the eyes, a smile etched  on his face, “That was...”</p><p>Mark smiles back and stares onto Donghyuck, “Something.”</p><p>They burst in a fit of giggles and Mark would like to say, he could listen to that beautiful giggle all day long.</p><p>“So...” Donghyuck drawls as soon as he stops from laughing, “you’re a thief again, huh?”</p><p>Mark bites his lip to hide control his smile, “It was just a dare.”</p><p>Donghyuck nods his head and a knowing smile forms on his face.</p><p>“It’s okay. You can’t steal the PS5, but you sure did steal my heart.”</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thank you for reading mark's many adventures in walmart :)</p><p> </p><p>  <a href="https://twitter.com/qkunwrites">twt</a> ((:</p></blockquote></div></div>
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